Does The Spetsnaz Train The Best Troops In The World?

News Type: Event — Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:17 AM EDT

world-news, united-states, russia, training, special-forces, delta-force, spetsnaz, best-troops

Scott Isaacs

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The Spetsnaz patch

A Spetsnaz hatchet attack

Spetsnaz training one of its guard dogs

The Russian Spetsnaz (Special Purpose Forces) are some of the best, most highly-trained troops in the world. They are in the same tier as the United States Special Forces, likely most similar to Delta Force because of their versatility and high level of proficiency.

Having learned about Spetsnaz training practices while reading the book The Great Gamble by Gregory Feifer, I discovered that their training is shorn of practically all safety concerns that exist in a Western military. While the United States military strives to avoid serious injuries and deaths in training while viewing such incidents from the standpoint of "What went wrong here?", the Spetsnaz consider deaths during training an expected part of the process and question whether the training is difficult enough if it is not rough enough to cause a loss of life.

The question on my column today is this: does the Spetsnaz's lack of concern for avoiding training deaths and resultant pushing of Spetsnaz recruits further because of it result in better-trained troops? Or are Spetsnaz troops no better-trained and simply have the bad luck to fall under a military command that considers training deaths acceptable?

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{"commentId":8260545,"authorDomain":"isaacs"}

Scott Isaacs

Does the lack of concern about training deaths translate into tougher, better-trained soldiers or is it just another sign of a military that has long-viewed human resources as expendable?

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2 votes

#1 - Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:22 AM EDT

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ffeineandsugar

It is a military that views human resources as expendable, but it also has the effect of producing soldiers who see themselves not only as the best of the best, but as survivors of a shared experience, which only binds them together, and produces an esprit de corps that can not be replicated any other way. To choose to try for this, knowing full well what the risks are, and to make it, is to become the best of the best. I would say the Spetznaz are the best commandoes in the world. Its a shame that their leadership higher up is so wasteful, so poor. As G. Gordon Liddy once said, when asked if he would want the US or the Soviet Army on his side in battle, he would take the Soviet Troops with American equipment and American leadership.

This is not to disparage the American soldier. Our soldiers are, in their own way, some of the best in the world, and those who have been tried by combat are untouchable. Most Russian units are not as well trained and can not stand toe for toe with ours. But the elite troops they have are just slightly better than ours, for the reasons listed above. But what do I know?

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1 vote

#2 - Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:26 AM EDT

{"commentId":8264588,"authorDomain":"aspi-shroff"}

Mr ASPI SHROFF

What matters is both training and discipline. Accidents can still occur, that is the sad fact of life.

In special forces training recruits are pushed and must be pushed to their limits of physical ability.

I have watched documentary of of training of French Foreign Legion and was disturbed to see how mere mortals were pushed to the limit of their physical endurance.

Experts claim that North Korea's special forces are best in the world.

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1 vote

#3 - Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":8268597,"authorDomain":"supperfood"}

Bob Jones-1211422

Who cares. The best trained troops in the world can be taken down by a motivated person with only anger in his heart, and a bullet in his gun, or as we learned an IED.

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2 votes

#4 - Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:03 PM EDT

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SCOTT ISAACS

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Does The Spetsnaz Train The Best Troops In The World?

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	Yes, those that survive are the best of the best
	No, training troops to death confers no advantage